A Kitsune's Vengeance
by ZariGS
Summary: Uzumaki Naru was abused. Neglected. Starved. All before she turned six years old. But now she's had enough. It is time...time for a Kitsune's Vengeance. Adopted from Beautiful Kaos' "Lessons in Pain". Discontinue note 9/18/12
1. Beginnings, and a Newfound Friend

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor am I making any profit from this fanfic. This idea was originally thought up by the user Beautiful Kaos; I am only editing/continuing his/her fic that was up for adoption, "Lessons in Pain".

Changes from canon: FemNaruto, Naruto is the first Kyuubi Jinchuriki, the third Hokage had more trouble than in canon when trying to help Naru (in this case) survive her earlier years in the village. That's all for now.

UPDATE 3/17/12: I have gone back and edited this chapter to be more in line with how I want this story to progress. I've also edited it to make it read somewhat smoother :)

Warning: this fic will contain at least a little abuse, neglect, and possibly a few lemons if readers request them (though not in this first chapter).

Key:

"this is talking"

'this is thinking'

_"this is Naru and Kurama/Kyuubi mindspeaking"_

* * *

Naru Uzumaki was born on October 10th to one Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. As a couple they were happy; how could they not be when Kushina had just given birth to their first child?

But their happiness, though great, was not meant to last, as Naru's birth date was also the day the great Kyuubi no Kitsune attacked Konohagakure no Sato in a blind rage.

Even with their baby girl still held in her mother's arms, the Hokage and his wife argued over how to proceed against the walking natural disaster. It was a long and heated debate, but eventually they hammered out a plan of action; they would seal the great beast into none other than their own daughter, though Kushina agreed to this only grudgingly.

Unfortunately, when the two of them went about carrying out their plan, they did not foresee the true depth of the Kyuubi's strength; as it was, it managed to break out of Kushina's chakra chains after a fierce struggle, then charged towards the small clearing where Minato stood going through the many hand seals required for the Shiki Fuin.

Time seemed to slow down for the fourth Hokage as the beast's clawed paw grew ever nearer to where both his daughter lay and he stood on the soft earth; only to speed up far too quickly as his wife used her body as a shield to block the claw from crushing their child.

"K-Kushina…" Minato almost faltered in his hand sealing as the woman he loved coughed up a few globs of blood, but the look in her eyes was enough to keep him going. She smiled slightly as his hands landed on the final seal, before closing her eyes for the last time.

"Shiki Fuin!"

And so the fourth Hokage passed on, using his soul as payment to seal the Kyuubi no Kitsune into the belly of his daughter. Naru Uzumaki, a baby only a few hours old, was now an orphan.

. . . . .

By the time Naru was six years old she had already learned all about pain.

There was the pain of hunger.

The orphanage she was sent to mere days after her birth had taught her that lesson. The matrons started off giving her meals that were always a bit smaller and not quite as good as they gave the other children. Sometimes they would 'forget' to give her breakfast or dinner. And her lunch hour was conveniently taken up by chores. She was made to do the dishes, wash the windows, scrub the floors, and fold the laundry. If she didn't finish then she was sent to bed without supper and given even more chores to complete the next day. Even with all that, the matrons made sure to feed her at least one small meal a day. After all, it wouldn't look very good if they had a child dying from hunger while in their care. Even if it _was_ the demon child.

There was the pain of loneliness.

Naru would have given anything to have a friend at the orphanage. She was surrounded by children who were laughing and playing together. She wanted to be like they were; happy and carefree. She had tried several times to join the others in their play, only to be shoved aside or glared at. But mostly they acted like she wasn't there at all. That was what hurt her most. At least if they smacked her aside they were acknowledging her presence. But when they ignored her very existence it made her heart clench painfully. It made her feel like she didn't matter enough to even be insulted. After a while she gave up hoping for a friend.

There was the pain of abuse.

One day a man came to the orphanage. He was a tall and fierce looking man with sandy blond hair and icy blue eyes. The man, whose name was Ryuuhei, told the matrons that he was looking to adopt a child. Preferably a girl. There were fourteen girls in the orphanage not including Naru. The matrons brought those girls out while Naru was (as usual) made to stay in the girls' dorm room. Ryuuhei gave the girls a thorough look over but shook his head at each one. He told them he was looking specifically for a blond haired blue-eyed child. Now, there were four girls in the orphanage that had blond hair. And there were three girls that had blue eyes. Naru was the only one who had both. The head matron eyed the man carefully and, seeing the dark look in his eyes, decided. She sent the girls back to their room and bade the other matrons to send Naru out.

Ryuuhei took one look at the girl and saw the whisker marks that were the testament of the demon sealed within and knew this was the child he had been looking for. He took Naru home with him that very night.

Ryuuhei was a man in his early thirties living alone. He had been happily married once, but lost his beloved wife to the demonic fox's rampage on his home. The loss of his wife had turned him into a hard and bitter man. When he learned that the demon had been sealed away into an infant he vowed one day he would find the child and make it suffer as he himself had suffered. So began his search.

Naru could hardly believe she had been adopted. The matrons had told her many times that no one would ever want her and so was hidden away when prospective parents came along. And now here she was, with a new father and she had been picked from among all the other girls. A smile bloomed on her face as she walked towards Ryuuhei's house. She had never been happier.

And yet, it took less than three minutes after entering her new home for Naru to become miserable. Ryuuhei was certainly not the kind of father she had always dreamed of having. She was pretty sure that fathers were not supposed to punch and kick and whip their children, but as she had never had a father she couldn't be certain.

Naru thought she must be doing a bad job of being a daughter and so one day while Ryuuhei was at work she decided to clean the house, just like she had done at the orphanage. Maybe that would make him love her.

When Ryuuhei returned home to clean swept floors, a sparkling kitchen, freshly washed clothes and shining windows he was marginally pleased. At least the demon brat was good for something. When he went to his room and found the quilt his wife had sewn by hand, washed and folded on his bed he grew angry. He remembered the nights they had sat together talking and making love under that quilt. And the filthy demon had dared to touch it after she was the one who had taken his wife away from him. He would not let her get away with it.

He found Naru in the small room he had given her. She was sitting on the floor (as she was given no bed) folding the tattered gray cloth that served as her blanket. She looked up when he entered and smiled hopefully. The smile made him angrier. How could she smile, knowing what she'd done? He jerked her up by the collar of her shirt and backhanded her across the face. Tears sprung instantly to her eyes. He sneered and threw her into the wall.

"Take off your shirt and lay down on the floor" he ordered.

She looked at him fearfully and did as he told her to. He pulled off his belt and snapped it across her skin. He struck her several more times, drawing blood, until she begged him, sobbing, to stop. He did not listen and instead struck her again. After a few more blows he finally stopped to catch his breath. Leaning against the wall he admired his handiwork, dimly hearing the gasping sobs of the girl and ordered the child to shut up lest she warrant another beating. She silenced herself immediately, shivers wracking her small frame.

"Don't ever enter my room again, demon." He glanced around the room, seeing the blood splatters on the walls. "And clean this mess up." He turned and walked out the door.

Nearly a year had gone by and even with her accelerated healing abilities Naru had a hard time just making it through each day. Ryuuhei thrived on see her bleed and seemed to get crueler with each beating. Naru no longer cried when he did this, for it only made her adopted father more irate. And so when her punishment was over and she was sure he was asleep Naru would cry herself silently to sleep.

Once, Naru had actually churned up the nerve to ask Ryuuhei why he called her Demon and not Naru and why was she always being punished when she did nothing wrong. Ryuuhei had snarled and cursed at her, telling her she was a demon and she was being punished for all the evil she had done. Afterwards he gave her a beating so severe that it took Kyuubi four days to heal. Though she still didn't have any answers as to why she was getting beating, she knew better than to ask questions again.

On her sixth birthday Naru spent most of the day hiding in her room, awaiting the return of her tormentor. He would be at the festival today and would not be home until later, or so she hoped.

Ryuuhei arrived home mid-afternoon swaying slightly and smelling of sake. He was in a surprisingly good mood. He had thought of a new punishment to use on the demon. He couldn't wait to try it out. He could practically hear the screams now. He gave a sinister grin as he walked towards the girl's room.

Upon entering he spied the little demon huddled into a corner, curled tightly into a ball. She looked up timidly when she heard his footsteps stop in front of her. He glared at her silently for a moment watching the tremors race through her body.

"Strip." He commanded.

Hands shaking, Naru did as he ordered.

"Lay down on the floor."

He watched as she laid face down on the brown speckled carpet and pulled off his belt. He gave a few practice swings enjoying the flinches the brat gave as he did so. The first strike came down on the girl's lower back. Next he struck a little higher. One strike, then another, and another, till her back was red with welts and wet with blood.

He threw the belt aside, deciding it was enough. He had better things in mind to do.

"Today," he spoke, "We are going to try something new."

Naru felt a bolt of fear run through her at the words. He sounded positively _joyful_. That scared her more than anything.

"Get on your hands and knees."

Naru thought about refusing, but a sharp kick to the ribs convinced her otherwise. She climbed to her hands and knees.

The man came a knelt down behind her, running his fingers along her back, humming when they were thoroughly wet with blood.

Naru hissed when she felt his fingers gliding along the open wounds. The fingers stopped for a moment and tensed violently when the fingers returned, sliding down her back and along her buttocks. She tried to scramble away only to be yanked right back. The fingers slid down further, reaching the place she knew he should not be touching and gasped loudly as a finger slid into her. She jerked, trying again to get away, only to be smacked back down. Another finger slid in beside the first and Naru cried out. She couldn't let him do this, he had to stop. Her struggles renewed.

She kicked at him, thrashing wildly until he lost his grip. Naru jumped to her feet and made a dash for the door when she felt a hand grasp her ankle and jerk her to the floor. She screamed as he climbed on top of her and scratched at his face and eyes. One of her fingers sunk into his eye socket and he roared, backhanding her across the face so hard that she felt something crack. He had broken her jaw.

Black spots danced across her vision and she stilled for a moment, dazed. When she came to Ryuuhei had his hands grasped around her neck, squeezing.

"You will pay for that, demon."

She choked, trying to get some air in her lungs. As her vision began to fade, Naru had one final thought before she succumbed to the darkness:

'Please, somebody, help me.' she prayed. 'Please…'

. . . . .

An indeterminable time later she opened her eyes, finding herself standing in some sort of a sewer. After a thorough check to make sure her head was still attached to her neck, Naru glanced up, down and around, curiosity as to how she arrived here overcoming what fear she had felt previously.

Like all sewers there was water flowing above the ground she stood upon. Now, being rather scrawny for her age, the slowly flowing liquid was barely above her knees—just high enough to restrict her movement and yet not fully inhibit it. To her left and right were old, worn down stone walls with pipes running along them, and in front of her was a tall golden gate held closed by a paper with the kanji for seal on it. But while the particular tunnel she was in stretched onwards seemingly for miles behind her, she couldn't make out even the tiniest details of what was on the other side of the bars…

Curiosity now bubbling forth like it would from any child her age, she moved forward, pressing her face between two of the tall golden rods, trying to get a glimpse of what was on the other side. But as she did this, a deep, rumbling growl echoed throughout the room.

Before she could move, before she could so much as blink, two enormous, glowing red eyes appeared right at her eye level on the other side of the bars, seemingly staring straight into her soul. Naru only stared back, the small part of her that wasn't consumed by fright idly wondering what in the Elemental Nations could possess eyes so big. Whatever it was, if it were proportionate to the eyes she saw, it had to be at least fifty stories tall!

After a while of their staring contest the great beast let out a soft chuckle, before shifting so Naru could see it in all of its nine-tailed, kitsune glory.

Naru stared at the Biju in awe.

"You are the Kyuubi no Kitsune." she stated, her voice quavering slightly.

"I am." the demons voice rumbled loudly.

"Where are we?"

"We are inside your mind."

"My mind." she paused. "So this is why they call me a demon."

"Yes. I was sealed within you on the day of your birth."

"I see." she glanced at the seal upon the gate. "What would happen if I removed the seal from the gate?"

Kyuubi eyed the girl who had become his prison. "If I was stronger and you released the seal, I would tear my way from your body, killing you and regaining my physical form. Then I would exact my revenge and destroy this village for daring to seal the great Kyuubi no Kitsune into a pitiful human. But because I have not yet regained my full power, if you were to pull the seal now then our forms would merge. And we two would become one."

"And if we did merge, what would happen then?" Naru asked, for once truly curious as to what would happen.

"Your form would change. You would truly be part demon. My instincts would be your instincts. My power would be your power, and vice versa. Our souls would be tied together for all eternity."

"And what would happen to you? Would you gain a form of your own?"

"...Before I answer that, tell me this. You know me as the Kyuubi no Kitsune. I slaughtered many of your brethren in my attack six years ago. Why should you care what happens to me?"

That did it. Naru closed her eyes, fighting back the torrent of tears she had held at bay for so long. It was a difficult struggle, but eventually she managed to calm down to the point where she could speak, though her voice was scarcely loud enough for even the Kyuubi's enhanced hearing to pick up. "Look at my memories. Then you will know why I care..."

When the small child said nothing more the giant fox did as she requested, only to recoil in shock at the unending amount of pain she had been through. He might have been a demon, a being made purely of chakra, but even he and the eight other Biju wouldn't stoop so low as to inflict such harm upon one of their young...! Sighing ever so softly at the predicament he now found himself in, the Kyuubi no Kitsune laid his head on his front paws, letting his gaze soften as he eyed the child on the other side of his cage. It was a while before he spoke again, but when he did his voice carried none of its previous malice or hate.

"Kurama."

"...What?" was Naru's intelligent reply.

"My name. It is customary for humans to give their name before asking for someone else's, is it not?"

"Oh...I'm Naru. Naru Uzumaki."

Kurama rumbled his approval, his tails twitching slightly. It had been a long time since he'd last had an intelligent conversation with another being, Biju or otherwise. In fact, Naru was probably the first human he'd ever come in contact with...without destroying them where they stood, of course. As you could probably guess, he didn't like humans, not one bit. They were greedy, selfish, and a plethora of other bad things...but perhaps, just perhaps, this girl would be different. He'd give her a chance, he decided. It wasn't as if he could do anything to her, anyways, what with the seal blocking any and all attempts at escape he made.

"Well Naru, in answer to your earlier question, yes I would gain my own body, but because I no longer have a physical form, if you were to remove the seal my life cycle would have to begin anew. You see, we demons grow more powerful with age. Our strength is shown by the number of tails we have. Until I was sealed I was the most powerful demon alive, but now..."

"I see. By the way, when you mentioned beginning anew…Does that mean you will be a baby fox? With only one tail?"

The Kyuubi growled. "A kit. And yes."

Naru thought for a moment. "And would you have to stay with me? Or would you go away?"

"In the beginning we would have to stay close to one another. As we grow and age we would be able to separate for longer periods of time."

"Then I will remove the seal. And we will both live."

"Yes, remove the seal, but know that I still intend to decimate this pathetic village."

Naru's blue eyes darkened as she looked into the demonic red ones. "And I will help you."

Kyuubi let out a rumbling laugh. "I think you may make a worthy demon yet."

She smiled. "I suppose we shall find out." And with that Naru grasped the paper seal and jerked it off.

And then there was pain.

She screamed.

Naru had never felt pain like this before. All consuming and never ending. Not even the beatings compared to this. Liquid fire burned within her veins. Her organs felt as though they were being ripped out. Her teeth, hair, and nails ached. Her skin felt like it was being melted off and regrown, only to be melted off again. Her eyes felt like they would explode from her skull. It seemed as soon as one pain was over another immediately took its place. There was no escape from it. It went on like this for hours.

And then it was over.

. . . . .

Naru awoke.

She was in her room in Ryuuhei's house. Ryuuhei was on the floor, his throat ripped open and blood steadily pumping out of the wound.

She looked around the room trying to figure out what happened.

_"I killed the filthy human."_

Naru jerked her head around towards the door where the 'voice' had come from. Sitting there on its haunches was a fox. It was about three foot tall with a sleek blood red coat and crimson eyes. The tips of his tail and ears were black.

_'"Kurama?" _she whispered.

_"Obviously." _the voice drawled.

"Oh. I thought you'd be smaller. But I guess even as a kit you are still quite powerful."

Kurama gave a pleased growl and nodded. "You are right of course. But aside from that, demons reach maturity quicker than humans do. Once we reach our maturity we stop aging. You will reach yours a bit slower than I will because you have yet to gain the normal demon characteristics, but you will still reach it before any humans your age would."

"When will we reach our maturities?"

"I will reach mine in approximately five years. You will reach yours in about seven. Eight at the most."

Naru nodded at that. "That's good, the sooner I grow up the better." She threw a disgusted glance at the body of her former caretaker. "I don't ever want to be that weak again." The fox let out what could only be considered a chuckle.

"Trust me when I say this; you're already stronger than you were before your soul underwent the alteration to become a demon. Your reflexes, senses, and general strength of body should be about double what it was before, and that will only increase as your body changes to accommodate your new soul." his voice then took on a steely quality.

"But while that may be true, we are still at the bottom of the metaphorical demon food chain; we must bide our time, growing stronger before we destroy this pathetic excuse of a village."

Naru thought over this for a moment before speaking. "So that pain I felt was my soul being...altered?"

Kurama nodded. "Yes, though your body has yet to adapt to the changes. But that will happen in time; what we need to do now is think about what we should do. Obviously, with your 'caretaker' now dead, it wouldn't be a very good idea to stay here, lest someone find out what happened. We might be demons, but as strong as we are now there is little we could do against a village full of ninjas."

"I think joining the academy might be a good idea, or at least stealing a textbook so I can learn the material. I want to learn as much as I can for both my demon side and my human side, as knowledge can often be equated to power. Once I read through the text, though, we can get out of this hellhole.

Kurama inclined his head in approval. "A solid plan. Very well, we will stay here until you have learned what you need to. And if it turns out that leaving to train abroad is a better plan, well..." the fox bared his teeth in a sort of wolfish grin. "Then that is what we shall do. And when we have gained enough power you and I will destroy this village."

Naru's smile answered his. "Yes. We will have revenge enough for us both."

* * *

AN: So what do you think? How was it? Any and all criticism and/or comments are appreciated, even if it's just a simple 'good job'. I'd love to have some feedback on what I can do to improve, both in my writing and perhaps my style. In other words, please Review! You know you want to!

-ZGS


	2. When the time comes to leave

UPDATE 4/3/12: I've basically rewritten this chapter; sorry to those of you who were expecting chapter 3, but this chapter wasn't up to my quality standards previously, so I redid it to be more in line with what I have planned for this story.

Anyways, hello all, and welcome to the second (redone) chapter of A Kitsune's Vengeance! While the previous chapter only underwent some minor changes (enough so that you don't need to go back and read it if you haven't already), this chapter was basically rewritten from scratch. I kept a few of the elements from the old edition, but for the most part what follows after the page divide will be completely new material. For those of you who read the old version, I'd suggest you read this version too, just so you don't get lost in the storyline (as the previous version's stopping point, and the stopping point for this newer edition are completely different).

I'd also like to give a shoutout to those who reviewed and/or alerted/favorited this story! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read this humble writer's work. :)

Also, I WILL be working on chapter three, and I hope to get it out in a timely manner, so don't fret :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form, though I can say I wish I did :(

Key:

"this is characters talking"

'this is characters thinking'

_"This is Naru & Kurama/Kyuubi mindspeaking"_

Enough of me yakking away with A/N, on with the show!

* * *

Naru wasn't having a very good day. At all, really. You see, a few days ago she had gone to the Hokage and requested to be enlisted in the ninja academy, only to be shot down on account of her age. She was, according to village standards, "too young" to learn how to be a ninja.

This had, of course, prompted Naru to start an argument with the wizened old man over why Uchiha Itachi had entered the academy at around her age, yet she was being refused. Needless to say, it all boiled down to the fact that she was (had been, though Hiruzen didn't know it) the Kyuubi container. He didn't say this outright, of course, since he still believed she didn't know, but Naru could tell that was the main stopping block in her entering the academy at an early age. So, after a few choice words that left the Hokage wondering where she learned them, she left the office, intent on filching an academy textbook so she could learn the material on her own.

When she managed to get her hands on one, however, she almost threw it right back in the recycling bin where she had found it. It wasn't that she no longer desired to learn—far from it in fact—but Konoha's kunoichi curriculum was, to put it bluntly, nothing that a ninja-to-be should be learning. Even if the edition she had snatched was out-of-date, it was obvious to her that the material covered in the academy had only gotten worse over time.

However, that was not to say that the book was without its uses; it mainly covered the history of the Elemental Nations, which, while almost pointless for the average ninja, was a subject she was sorely lacking in due to being an orphan. So, after a few minutes' contemplation, Naru picked up the book from where it had been discarded and sat down on the sofa to read.

It started out explaining the history of the village, back all the way from when Konoha was founded by the Senju and Uchiha clans. Naru mostly skimmed over that section, not really caring about how the village came to be. She did add to her list of grievances against Konoha, however, that the Shodaime Hokage had passed put some of the Biju like candy before the First Shinobi World War. The mere idea of such an action angered her to no end; after all, at a very basic level the tailed beasts were no different than humans. Sure, they might appear different on the outside, but they had a soul like any human did. If one thought logically enough about the matter, the discrepancy of power between the different Biju could even be compared to the difference in capabilities of ninjutsu in humans!

"Penny for your thoughts, oh glowering one?" Kurama said as he sauntered into the room.

Naru smiled slightly as the fox hopped up beside her on the small sofa, though her face quickly contorted back into a scowl as his words registered in her mind. She let out a sigh—and with it most of her anger—before answering. "Well, I was just reading up on some of Konoha's history..."

Kurama only raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. Naru hesitated, unsure of how her companion would take what she had found. She didn't want him to be angry at her because she brought up some bad memories, but he was clearly interested in what she had found...

It took a little bit of prompting on Kurama's part, but eventually Naru spilled the beans, so to speak. The fox's furred face remained neutral when she did so, of course, but Naru could feel the emotions roiling within him through their bond. There was anger, sadness, hate; the list went on. It was bad enough when she had read it herself, but now...it was worse.

After a few seconds worth of grasping at straws for a way to remedy the situation, she lunged forward, burying her face in Kurama's fur coat.

"For what it's worth...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dredge up any bad memories." She whispered, though it came out as more of a strangled sob.

"...No, it's not your fault; if anyone should be sorry it's the first Hokage. But he's dead, so..." He replied after a minute or two of calming himself. But despite him sending only soothing emotions across their link, Naru continued to cry.

Kurama wrapped a paw around the small girl clinging to him, letting her release all of the frustration and anguish she had kept pent up inside of herself. In retrospect it was fairly obvious that letting his remorse over past events show would turn into this, so he let her cry to her heart's content.

* * *

When Naru's tears finally slowed and then ultimately stopped, time had progressed well into the evening. So it came as no surprise to Kurama that almost immediately after she let go of him Naru let out a yawn.

"Tired?" He asked, an amused smile playing across his vulpine face.

"Not really; I'm just...drained."

"Well that's to be expected; after all, you did spend the last hour and a half clutching to me like a lifeline..." Naru had the decency to look sheepish, but soon after her expression turned serious.

"My little episode aside, what should we do about Ryuuhei's body? Sooner or later people are going to notice that he's gone, so..."

Kurama tilted his head to the side in thought before speaking. "I don't think we have to do anything about it; all we need to do is get the hell out of this village, at least until we come back to destroy it."

"I guess we could do that...but what about learning what we can while we're here?"

"That can happen while we travel; I might be just a kit in terms of power at the moment, but I still retain the knowledge of everything I've learned over the years. And with the ninja academy teaching history instead of life lessons..." he let the statement hang, letting Naru draw her own conclusions.

"Right. I doubt I'd learn anything useful there, especially if the curriculum has gotten even worse since that book was printed." She made a face of disgust, which Kurama only mimicked.

"Well then, shall we get packing?" Naru asked as she stood up, her mirth over finally having a friend clearly evident on her face.

Kurama only shook his head in amusement as she dashed off without waiting for a reply, before hopping down and trailing behind the girl at a more sedate pace.

When he finally found her she was in the kitchen, packing away a few non-perishables into a small backpack that she had found. There wasn't much in the way of actual food for her to pack, since Ryuuhei had been a frugal man, but that could be mostly remedied by foraging and catching small animals out in the wilderness. What she _could_ pack, however, were a few spices, as well as money. When she glanced at him, silently asking whether or not to add them to the growing list of supplies, he nodded in approval. The spices weren't completely necessary, of course, but they did make living off the land a little more bearable. And besides, even if they were able to survive on raw meat alone due to differences in demon physiology from a human's, that didn't mean they had to _like_ doing so. The money was, obviously, good for buying the things they needed that weren't readily available to them in Konoha, such as traveling gear for Naru.

She could try to buy those kinds of supplies in the village, of course, but those attempts would most likely end in failure due to her status as a (former) jinchuuriki. Kurama had taught her the henge over the past few days, but using that in a ninja village was risky at best—and the consequences of getting caught would be downright atrocious, especially for her.

When she had finally packed everything that they would absolutely need—and a few extra items that were luxuries—Naru voiced the question that had been nagging at the back of her mind for a while.

"So when do you think we should leave?"

"How about tonight? We're all ready aren't we?" Kurama deadpanned. Naru blinked once or twice, then nodded slowly.

"Okay, I guess we could do it tonight. We'll have to time it so we slip through as the shifts change, but otherwise..." She trailed off, drifting into thought over what had to be done.

"At what times do the shifts change?" The fox asked, curious. It wasn't as though it really, truly mattered to their planning, as there was bound to be at least one shift change in the middle of the night, but it could mean the difference between a rushed leaving attempt and a more leisurely one.

"Every four hours, offset forward by one hour from midnight, if I recall correctly."

"So...do you think you could make the 1AM shift change?"

"Maybe with a small amount of rest..." Naru replied through a yawn. "Wake me at midnight 'kay?"

Kurama nodded, chuckling as the girl started falling asleep where she sat.

"You would get better rest if you slept in a bed, or at least on the sofa, you know." He chided, nudging her back into the land of the living.

Naru's only reply was a half-hearted grunt, though she did manage to shuffle towards and collapse onto the sofa. Laughing softly, Kurama used his mouth to drape a blanket over her, then curled up around her small form, intent on getting some rest himself, if not any shut eye.

* * *

Midnight came far too soon for either of their liking, as it meant they had to stop basking in each others' warmth. But both of them knew that this was an opportunity that they didn't want to miss or mess up on, because chances were they wouldn't get another one like it—ever. So, after a running through a series of stretches designed to help loosen up the body—they were going to be doing a lot of running in the cold, after all—the pair of demonic entities grabbed their supplies and crept out into the night.

Nighttime in Fire Country wasn't exactly the warmest time to be wandering around, as evident by the fog that hung listlessly in the air, but it wasn't the coldest on the continent either. Still, Naru chose to stay close to Kurama as they ghosted their way through the back alleys towards the main entrance into Konoha, as her kitsune friend seemed to radiate warmth. Perhaps it was more because of the comfort his presence gave her, but she couldn't deny that the heat he threw off was at least part of the reason for her decision.

Anyways, the trek over to the gate was mostly uneventful, save for the one time Naru almost got startled by a stray cat crossing their path. Otherwise, though, they arrived at the edge of the large gate without trouble. Now all they had to do was lurk in the shadows and wait until the shift change happened.

When it _did_ happen, however, it wasn't like they expected. Instead of opening the actual gate itself, the new shift used a small portcullis off to the side to exit the village. That in itself wasn't the problem though; the main problem the two demonic younglings now faced was that this new gate was kept under lock and key, and Naru had no doubt that the key for this particular lock was restricted to only those ninjas who were on the night watch.

"Well this is a hassle..." She whispered, to which Kurama nodded.

"Indeed, though if we move quickly I see a way we can get out of this."

"What's the plan?" Naru asked, her brow knitted in concern. Her vulpine friend grinned wolfishly at her before speaking, his teeth glinting eerily in the predawn light.

"Grab a rock, or some other small piece of trash and chuck it at those dumpsters over there. Then, while the nightwatches are distracted by the noise, we use a simple henge to sneak by unnoticed." The grin then disappeared from his mouth. "But you'd better hurry, because they're almost finished conversing!"

So Naru went scrabbling about for something she could throw. However, the best thing she could find was a small, rusted aluminum can; they weren't close enough to a park for there to be rocks of any reasonable size, nor was there much else in the way of trash littering the side streets. Not wanting to risk waiting any longer, she immediately stood up, chucking it with as low a trajectory as she could towards the cluster of trash cans.

But it was after that action that everything started to go wrong.

You see, while Naru's action served the correct purpose of diverting the sentries' attention away from where they were hiding, she didn't count on one of said guards also glimpsing the moonlight glinting off of her pale blonde hair. Now, it should be said that there aren't many things that produce the same sort of reflection as hair does. So, while Konoha's security might have been somewhat lax during peacetime, they were still ninjas.

And ninjas didn't get to be ninjas unless they were perceptive. So there was little doubt in Naru's mind that the guards would be able to tell that it was a _person_ who had created the noise that would happen right about...now.

Unfortunately for Naru and Kurama, her deduction was right on the mark; scarcely seconds after the can she had thrown reverberated against the dumpsters with a harsh metallic clang, one of the sentries shouted while pointing in their direction.

"Shit!" Kurama hissed out as one of the other guards turned to raise the alarm. Acting purely on instinct, he rammed himself into his soulbonded twin, slinging her across his back and using shunshin to traverse the gap between them and the world outside the village. He didn't stop running there, either; they might have been free, but that freedom came at the price of alerting the entirety of Konoha.

Former Kyuubi he might of been, but even he could be scared. With the alarm steadily blaring behind them, Kurama halted just long enough for Naru to right herself on his back before taking off like a shot again. He had no doubt that they would know who was missing—there weren't many girls of about six with pale blond hair that lived in the village hidden in the leaves, after all. And of those, there was only one that could potentially associate with a larger-than-normal, red furred fox. That meant there would be little time spent trying to find out who they were, and more allocated to getting Naru back. After all, the council wouldn't stand to have "their" jinchuuriki slip out from underneath their grubby paws. He could feel Naru shudder as that thought passed through their bond; there was little doubt in either of their minds that they would both be put to death if the truth of her becoming a full demon came to light. So they ran, using whatever means necessary to outpace their pursuers.

* * *

If they were in any other situation, Naru would have had to remark at how good it felt to have the wind whistling through her hair as they raced through the woods. But, seeing as they were just barely outrunning their pursuers after the close call back at Konoha, this wasn't the time for that. As it was she could feel the blood pounding in her ears, and their shared anxiety through the soulbond. Her heart hammered in her chest, even though it was Kurama that was doing all the running. Were they going to make it out of this alive? Or would they be captured, tortured and ultimately killed in the end?

For a second she let the black depths of despair grip her heart, and shivered. Perhaps they wouldn't make it out of this; perhaps it would be better to just turn themselves over to the council bigots back at Konoha. Perhaps—

But it was at this moment that she felt a strong presence that both was and wasn't her enter her consciousness. Whatever it was, it helped her fight the despair that had her in its grasp, until she was certain that they could and would make it out of any situation alive, the one they were in now included.

With a start she opened her eyes. They were still racing through the forest at breakneck speeds, but something was...different. Whereas before it had seemed like they would be caught at any moment, now the gap between them and their pursuers was steadily widening.

_"And it's all thanks to you, Naru."_

_"Me?"_

_"Yes, you. Because of our bond, we either work twice as effectively together or only half, depending upon whether we are in sync or not." _Kurama stated through their mind-link. _"Because you were...uncertain, I was struggling to outpace those idiots from the village. Now, however..."_

Naru laughed as the kitsune put on a fresh burst of speed.

_"So that was you that pulled me out of my despair then?"_ She asked, her mind-voice carrying a jovial undertone to it.

_"Yes...I hope you don't mind."_

_"No, I...I don't. In fact I should be thanking you, so... Thank you, Kurama_..."

And with that she leaned forward, willing with all of her being for them to move faster. And move faster they did; the trees around them were becoming blurred together as they reached speeds practically unheard of for a single being. It wasn't long before the ninjas following them faded back into the distance, until they were little more than a memory.

A memory best left forgotten.

* * *

The demonic pair had been running—or rather Kurama had, with Naru riding on his back—for at least another hour before they deemed it acceptable to take a small break. After a bit of silent communication over their link, the kitsune slowed the breakneck pace he had kept up, eventually coming to a halt next to a nearby stream, his sides heaving. The stream wasn't more than a trickle of clear liquid across the ground, but that was enough for their needs.

While he lapped thirstily at the small burble of water, Naru slipped off, rummaging around in the small backpack on her back for a towel she could use to dry off Kurama's sweat-drenched fur. Once she found one she set to work, idly humming as she scrubbed and wrung it out, scrubbed and wrung it out.

Kurama meanwhile, was enraptured. In all his years as living as the Kyuubi he'd never had someone to really talk to, or in this case to listen to. So it was with great surprise and attention that he lay there, listening to Naru as she worked. It put him in an almost trance-like state, just paying attention to the way she moved from one note to the next, her humming blending with the soft burbling of the stream to create an almost ethereal music. But all things, good or bad, must come to an end. So it was with some sadness that he stood up when she had finished removing as much of the water as she could.

"Ready to continue?" He asked, unable to keep some of the forlorn feelings out of his voice.

Naru raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't say anything about his odd tone of voice. Instead she nodded, once again hoisting herself so she was straddling his back like one would a horse, and not slung across it like a sack of potatoes. The small amount of time spent that way had been enough for her; it might not have been the least comfortable experience she had endured in her short life, but it certainly wasn't the best one either.

Neither spoke much as they continued to trek across the land; there really wasn't any need to. After all, what enjoyment they obtained from viewing the scenery could be passed to the other as emotions through their bond, so there was little need for words. That didn't mean they were completely silent, of course, but if they were chattering away it would be easier to miss any signs of potential threats to their health.

Dawn came and passed, however, without any signs that anyone was ahead of or behind them. There was just the normal sounds of the forest waking up in the morning; birds chirping, squirrels chattering away, and the leaves rustling in the early morning breeze. That wasn't to say that there _wasn't _anyone around them, but to mask ones' self from two beings with demonic level senses was a feat practically unheard of. Still, the possibility was always there, so they never let down their guard completely, even after several hours of no indication that they were being followed.

When they reached the edge of the woods, however, Naru dismounted, giving Kurama a chance to stretch his sore limbs. They had been traveling west and a little bit south from Konha, hoping to reach the Land of Rivers before too long, as it was a somewhat neutral country in terms of political schemes. It was for this reason that they chose not to enter the Land of Wind or anything past that, as many of those countries would have turned them back over to Konoha in a heartbeat, provided said country got paid for the service, of course. The Land of Rivers, while the same thing could apply to it, was somewhat more diplomatic in its dealings with the rest of the countries, so Naru and Kurama chose it to be the starting point for their journey to get stronger.

There was also a rumor that the Land of Rivers contained a two hidden villages, one of ninjas and the other of artisans of all kinds. Kurama had confirmed this rumor, back when he still had all nine of his tails, though he never went anywhere near that latter of the two villages because he had no need for such things at the time. Now, though, there were two of them, and while Kurama still had his teeth and claws, as well as various Onipō (Demon Arts), Naru didn't have much to defend herself with besides her fists. So they had laid out a rough plan for Naru to get some sort of weapon or weapons at the village of artisans, Takumi Village. How they were going to go about getting said weapons, they didn't know yet, but that was okay. They had a lot of time on their hands, since the Land of Rivers would be one of the last places Konoha would look to find them, and by the time their pursuers did, Naru and Kurama would be long gone.

* * *

Annnd Cut! I'd just like to say thank you to those of you who have made it this far with me; it really means a lot to me to have people alert/favorite this story :)

Also, if you want a specific pairing to happen, leave a review and I'll try to make it work; I'm open to suggestions, though the main one will obviously be Naru/Kurama. Remember, reviews tell me what I'm doing right and wrong, so if you spot a mistake, please, PLEASE let me know via pm or review so I can fix the story/make it better.

Once again thank you for reading, and until next time,

-ZGS


	3. Divided Konoha, Escape's Aftermath

For those of you who like this fic, I'm sorry. I'm sorry because this chapter took so long to get out. Yes, I know I edited chapters one and two recently, but that doesn't excuse the long wait. However, stuff in my life came up, and I had to take care of it. Anyways, enough of that; chapter three of A Kitsune's Vengeance is here, and it's going to stay. In this chapter you'll find out what happens after the escape made in chapter two, as well as the small turning point in the story at the very end (What that is I won't say here, so you'll have to read to find out!).

Also, as a side note I'd just like to say that I need reviews to tell me what I'm doing right, and, perhaps more importantly, what I'm doing wrong. So please, if you can, take the time to review and let me know how I'm doing.

Note: This chapter is currently unbeta'd

****Review Replies****

**KakaSaku Chan**: I'm glad you like this story; even if it's just one or a few people, that's enough to keep me writing, though reviews are what REALLY keeps me going. Now as for your questions I'll answer them in the order you asked; Kurama and Naru will be returning to Konoha eventually (most likely to destroy it), though exactly when I haven't decided yet. I can say, though, that it'll probably be towards the end of this fic, either as the climax (less likely) or one of the events leading up to the end of this story (more likely). If anything it will be around the time when Naru/Kurama have reached their demonic maturities, which I'm more inclined to say will be towards the end of the academy days. And as for your final question, there may be some bashing in this fic, but as of now I'm a little hesitant to put it in, due to the turn-off property such things can have for some readers.

Here's the disclaimer and standard stuffs:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form, though I can say I wish I did :(

Key:

"this is characters talking"

'this is characters thinking'

_"This is Naru & Kurama/Kyuubi mindspeaking"_

And now on with the show :)

* * *

If Naru had to describe the Land of Rivers in a word, it would be 'muddy'. Seriously, the amount of mud flats they had to travel across was mind boggling; it almost seemed as if what little of the land wasn't crisscrossed with streams and rivers was in part drenched with water from beneath the ground. Granted, the demonic duo were staying off the main roads to avoid detection from any Konoha shinobi, but still. And it didn't make matters any better that there was a light rain falling, either.

"You'd think they'd call this the Land of Mud, not the Land of Rivers..." Naru muttered under her breath, carefully using both hands to pull her foot out of a particularly deep patch of mud. Kurama's only reply was a grunt, as he was currently struggling with his own obstacles, namely being bogged down by a crapload of wet fur. He knew some Demon Arts that could help with that, of course, but it wouldn't do much good when he'd only get wet again from the rain. So the two of them just slogged onward, not saying much else, their feet creating a steady squelching sound with each and every step they took.

It should be fairly obvious by now that what little progress they made towards their destination was painfully slow; they had crossed over the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers a day and a half ago, and yet the outline of the forests was still visible if one turned back to look at the horizon. Still, the distance they had covered so far was...satisfactory, given the conditions they had to work with.

"I could kill for a hot shower about now, if only to cleanse myself of this blasted mud for even a minute..." Naru sighed as her left foot got caught in another sticky patch of the brown wet stuff.

"Well, provided this rain lets up, we should be moving to dryer ground in about half a day's time." Kurama said as he nimbly sidestepped around a particularly deep puddle. She watched him do so with a twinge of envy; sometimes she wished she could have been Kurama's _physical_ twin, rather than a soulbonded one. Sure, two minds working together were better than one—at least for the most part—but currently it seemed like he got all the perks of being a demon by being born kitsune, while she got none. A small part of her knew this wasn't the case, that there were things she could do that Kurama could only dream of, but unfortunately that part of her didn't know how to make itself heard.

You see, while Naru had put up a brave front during her years spent living at the orphanage, in reality the experience of being shunned by her peers combined with her lack of parents scarred her more than she ever let on. It had been painful, so painful in fact that she still had emotional walls set up around her innermost thoughts. Even Kurama, her first true friend, had yet to breach those final hurdles. She knew he knew that they were there, of course, but whether out of respect for her privacy or that he thought she needed to tear them down herself he hadn't said a word about them.

The problem was that because he chose to leave the matter alone, the darker side of her past continued to fester within her, almost like a second personality that threatened to break free and take over. And to top matters off, she didn't know how to ask for his help; she might act like someone three or four times her physical age, but deep down she was still a six year old girl struggling to forge her own path in the world.

Kurama, meanwhile, knew exactly what was going through her mind, though he didn't outwardly show it. He knew because she was unconsciously telegraphing her thoughts over their link. And yet, while he knew he could help, he was hesitant to step in and interfere, all because he was afraid.

Afraid for her.

If there was anything he had learned in many years spent as the Kyuubi, it was that you had to stand on your own two feet in order to grow. Now, there were obviously exceptions to this rule, where it was acceptable to lean on someone else. But while those exceptions existed, he had found that the majority of the time that rule held true. He didn't know if things were different in human societies, and frankly he didn't really care. However, lately he had found himself wanting to help her make it through her struggles.

Being an introspective type had its perks occasionally, one of which was knowing _why_ he wanted to do what he did. He didn't want to help Naru because it would make his own life so much simpler, though of course it would if all the problems she faced were solved. He didn't want to help Naru because she wasn't capable of solving her problems herself; he wanted to do it because he _cared._

As the Kyuubi he had always relied on himself, caring for little else. But now...now that he had someone else in his life, someone who wouldn't be leaving anytime soon, he found himself caring for her more and more as time went on. That, perhaps, was the most startling realization for the kitsune.

But all of this introspection only brought him back to square one. He still didn't know how he could let her work out her own problems, and at the same time lend her his support. It just didn't seem possible.

But that was when it hit him.

There _was_ no easy way out of this situation. He had been wracking his mind for something that simply didn't exist.

It was with that thought that everything seemed to fall into place; Naru would have to be the one to ask him for help. He couldn't just go and help her like he had done during their escape from Konoha, because that would only lead her to turn to him whenever she ran into trouble. Sure, that time during their escape had been done out of necessity, but Kurama couldn't always be there for her, no matter how much he wished for that to be the case. There would come a time when she would have to work out her problems on her own, without him around to help.

Or would there?

Now that he actually thought about it, _would_ there ever come a time where he would leave her? Or, perhaps more importantly, would he ever _want_ to?

He let out a sigh. These questions he was asking himself just kept getting deeper and deeper. But, in the end, he supposed they didn't really matter. Even if he never _did_ leave Naru's side, he would want her to be independent, which wouldn't happen if he just fixed her problems for her. Somehow he knew that it wouldn't be easy, for either of them, but then again nothing truly worthwhile in life was. Until she managed to come out of her shell he would have to stay on the sidelines and hold himself back, hoping that she didn't let her dark past consume her. And if she did, well...he'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

* * *

Kurama was right on the mark when he predicted that they'd reach the end of the mudflats by nightfall. But while they rejoiced at that small accomplishment, they weren't out of the frying pan just yet, so to speak. In their haste to escape the Land of Fire they hadn't bothered to cover their tracks, and while the mudflats would buy them at least a little time neither Naru nor Kurama had any doubt that there would still be shinobi coming after them. As a (former) jinchuuriki Naru was just that valuable to Konoha's council.

But there was a loophole in this whole scenario, one that Naru and Kurama hoped to exploit to the fullest. As long as she remained in sight of other people, the village hidden in the leaves couldn't do a thing to bring Naru back within its walls. This was because, while she had indeed been a part of Konoha since she had been born, she was still only a civilian. Civilians were subject to the civilian council's rule, but _only within the village itself._ So as long as she was outside of Konoha she didn't have to listen to the corrupted bigots when they commanded her to come back. The Hokage could send ninjas after her to try and persuade her to come back, of course, but because she had never been registered within the ninja ranks, there was little else he could do if she chose to ignore his minions.

Naru found it kind of ironic in a way; the civilian council had refused her request to become a ninja because they wanted to keep her under their thumb, but now that she had escaped there wasn't much they could do to bring her back. Of course she had no doubt that, once persuasion failed, they would send ninjas to kidnap her...but that was where staying within sight of other people came into play. If the Land of Rivers—or any place else she stayed at for that matter—found out that Konoha was kidnapping people within its borders, the people in charge would almost certainly cite this as an act of war. In that scenario it would only be a short time before the entire continent was embroiled in another Shinobi World War, which Konoha couldn't afford to have happen. After all, they were still recovering from when Kurama attacked in a blind rage six years ago.

However, the loophole only held true when they were situated in a village or city. Otherwise, there was nothing stopping the higher ups in Konoha from sending ninjas to take her back. Obviously, if there was no one around to witness her being kidnapped, then it was almost as if it never happened. It was for this reason that the demonic duo pushed onwards towards their destination, even after night fell.

_Meanwhile..._

Back at Konoha things were hectic. The civilian populace was still celebrating Naru's departure, or at least they were until the Hokage intervened. It was a rather comical sight actually, what with people dancing and partying only to fall to the ground screaming in fear as Hiruzen fired a non-lethal jutsu into the crowd to stop their antics.

"What is going on here?" He asked, though it came out as more of a yell. One of the more brave civilians got up from where he had been cowering to speak.

"Oh, Hokage-sama! Don't scare us like that! We were just celebrating the departure of the Demon—" He got no farther, as his head was now rolling on the cobblestones courtesy of a clean cut from Yūgao's sword.

"Would anyone else like to break the Third's law in his face...?" She asked, drawling out the sentence in a rather bored monotone.

"Thank you, Yūgao." The Hokage tilted forward his hat before speaking again. "ANBU! Arrest this crowd. I want them sent to Ibiki. Tell him 'No Restrictions'."

And with that the Third Hokage turned on his heels, heading to his office to face the bane of all Kages once more.

* * *

If there was anything Sarutobi Hiruzen was feeling, it was his age. He'd lived through a war, taught a group of Genin, served as Kage for the village hidden in the leaves, and seen his successor fall in battle against a raging beast. Now here he was, in the council chambers, listening the civilian side and his personal advisers bickering over how best to get Uzumaki Naru back under their grubby paws.

"ENOUGH!" He bellowed, having heard far more of their nonsense than necessary. Once the room had fallen silent, he spoke again, this time in a more normal tone. "Now, can anyone tell me _why_ we are all sitting here discussing ways to kidnap someone, when said person left this village of their own free will?"

"B-But Hokage-sama! How can you say that about the De—I mean Uzumaki Naru, who is this village's Jinchūriki?" Koharu asked, aghast. Hiruzen leveled a glare at her that could have melted steel.

"Last time _I _checked, she was still a civilian. Which means she was and still is free to come and go from this village at any time she wishes. And since her previous guardian was found dead in his own home, the decision would then fall to her. So there is little I can do in regards to bringing her back; if she were a ninja, or at least an academy student this whole scenario would be different, but..." He folded his hands, resting his chin on the platform they created. "I seem to recall that it was this very council that denied her request to become a ninja. That being said, why are you all now so determined to get her back? We have little use for any skills she has, especially considering she is still a _civilian_."

"And yet she has figured out how to control the Kyuubi, if the giant fox she was with when she escaped was any indication. That alone should be more than enough reason to want her back." Danzō said bluntly, his logic sound enough to satisfy even an Aburame. Hiruzen sighed. Trust his old rival to come up with an irrefutable point when he was trying to make a case for keeping Naru out of the village. However...

"You make a valid point, Danzō. But even if we do try to get her back, along with the Kyuubi inside of her, we must first consider _why_ she left in the first place." At this Tsume Inuzuka raised her hand, silently asking for permission to speak. When it was granted she stood up, and began pacing back and forth.

"Before I start I'd just like to say this; I have seen how some of the fools of this village have treated her, and what I saw was not pretty. After all, how would any of you feel if you were treated as if you were lower than the lowest piece of trash, straight from the day of your birth? How would any of you feel if you were treated as if you didn't exist?" She asked, pausing just long enough in her pacing to send a hate filled glance towards the civilian side of the council, many of whom shrank back in fear. "I think Naru had more than enough reason to leave this village, given how she was treated by some of the people here; personally I find it admirable that she took matters into her own hands, even if she had to make some sort of deal with the Kyuubi. Heck, it probably treats her better than you fools did. And no, before you ask, I won't even consider using my clan's best trackers to try to force her back where she will only be hated by those who don't understand."

With that last hate-filled remark, the Inuzuka matriarch sat back down, though she continued to glare at the civilians. The Hokage cleared his throat, trying to relieve some of the tension she had caused between the two factions of his council. "Thank you for that...opinion, Tsume. Is there anyone else who would like to take a stance on this matter, or should we bring it to a vote...?"

This time it was Hiashi Hyuuga who spoke up.

"While I agree with Tsume in regards to the matter of Uzumaki Naru's treatment being rather...unsavory, there is also the matter of what will happen when the other ninja villages get wind of her departure. As you all know, Iwa and Kumo both have two loyal Jinchūriki a piece, and Suna and Kiri each have one. While Suna might be our ally, if this news reaches any of the other three they would be at our throats in a heartbeat. I think I can say with some degree of certainty that we as a council do not wish for another Shinobi World War, so I believe it is in our best interests to retrieve Naru, even if that means teaching her _properly _as a shinobi to make sure she does not leave a second time."

None of the council missed the stress Hiashi placed on the word 'properly', nor the way his pupil-less eyes flicked slightly towards the civilian part of the council as he said it. While it was quite obvious that the two sides of the council disliked each other immensely, even the civilian side had to agree with the Hyuuga patriarch's reasoning, though they didn't like the idea of being kind to the 'demon brat'.

"That would be...acceptable, provided Naru is willing to come back to Konoha. But, considering just _why_ she left, and the method of _how_ she had to leave, that is likely not going to be the case. Knowing this, what should our backup plan be, if persuasion fails?" Aburame Shibi asked, placing his hands into the coat pockets at his side.

"What else is there to try, really?" Shikaku Nara asked, a soft "troublesome" escaping his lips when no one else said anything.

The Hokage sighed as it became apparent they were at a standstill. If the councils wanted her back, it was quite apparent, at least to him, that the people of Konoha would have to regain her trust...which could only be done if she were here in the first place. He knew his civilian advisers were of the mind to just kidnap Naru and bring her back, consequences be damned, but that was hardly a step in the right direction. And if they wanted her to _stay _in the village after being brought back, well...

'I'm getting too old for this shit.' He thought, glancing up at the roof as the two sides of the council kept bickering away. 'Minato...Kushina... what would you say if you knew what has transpired in this despicable village...?'

Somehow he got the feeling Naru's parents would have tried to wipe Konoha off the maps, had they known how their daughter had been treated.

* * *

It had taken Naru and Kurama a solid two days and nights of traveling to reach Takumi Village; two days and nights spent without rest or any form of recuperation. As such, when they arrived they were on their last legs, both metaphorically and physically. After a rather long string of curses from Naru explaining just how tired she was—which was a rather baffling sight, considering such colorful language was coming from the equivalent of a six year-old—the two demons set about using a yokai-enhanced henge to rent themselves a room for the night. Normally they would have just used a basic henge when traveling, but this was the Village of Artisans, where many ninjas came to purchase weapons. It was to be expected that the people here would have at least a fundamental understanding of chakra, and the ability to see through such simple illusions, if the pulse of chakra accompanied by the soft muttering of "Kai (Release)" from the hotel's staff was any indication.

Fortunately for our demon pair, yokai could have anywhere from three to ten times the density of chakra depending upon the demon it belonged to, so the dispelling technique had no effect on their henge. This was not to say they weren't worried, of course, because while yokai might have been denser than chakra, that didn't mean the latter couldn't disrupt any illusions created by the former; all that was needed to do so was just the right amount of chakra to overload the yokai technique, though said amount was usually very high, given the differences between the two. But the rest of that lesson can be saved for another time.

When they had finally gotten to their room, showered, and eaten a hearty late dinner from what was left of their traveling supplies, Naru and Kurama sat down on the lone queen-sized bed in the room they'd rented to discuss what they would be doing in the upcoming days. They still had to work out how they were going to get one or more of the artisans to make Naru a weapon, considering what little money they had left would hardly pay for the materials needed to make a weapon, let alone the weapon itself.

"Well this is frustrating..." Naru remarked after they'd spent approximately an hour trying to come up with ideas with nothing to show for it. Kurama merely grunted in reply, his mind still at work over the troublesome question. So far they'd crossed off more than a few different strategies for going about getting the money required, most of which involved either him, Naru, or both of them working in some way or another to pay off the debt they would accrue from purchasing the weapon without having enough to pay for it. But those kinds of plans also came with a major drawback, namely the requirement of having to stay in one place for a long time in order to pay off the debt. When you were on the run from a major ninja village like they were, that type of requirement was like having a bright orange target painted on your back while you were trying to escape during broad daylight. In other words, it was exactly the kind of condition that they didn't want to have.

But what else could they do, really, when they were in the type of situation that they were? Just as he was about to suggest another variation of the same idea, however, there was the sounds of a commotion coming from downstairs. Glancing briefly at each other, they reapplied their yokai-enhanced henges, before quietly slipping out the door to their room and pausing at the stairwell.

When they peered around the corner, however, the sight that met their enhanced vision made Naru's blood run cold.

Takumi Village was under attack.

* * *

And Cut! Whew, Chapter three is finally finished! Sorry for the cliffie, but it was the best place for me to end this chapter, without having to add another 2000 or so words with the next scene.

Anyways, read rave review, you know the deal; I'll be waiting until I get at least 20 reviews (8 more than I have at the time of this chapter posting) to release chapter 4, so please take the time to tell me how I'm doing if you want me to continue :)

Until next time,

-ZGS


	4. To have a Soulbond

Hello all, and welcome to chapter 4 of A Kitsune's Vengeance! This chapter covers some interesting topics (again, you'll have to read to find out what those are!), as well as a tiny bit of fluff between our two main characters. All in all, I'm pleased with this chapter, though I just wish I could have gotten it out sooner. Sadly, that was not meant to be, since I had a lot of stuff that came up in real life, so that's why the somewhat longer delay. I'll be starting chapter five shortly, but remember, reviews help serve as my motivation to write more, so be sure to leave a remark or two, even if it's only a 'good job', or something along those lines.

Warning: This chapter is the first chapter where this ficlet really becomes M rated; there's no lemons (yet, obviously, due to Naru's age), but this chapter does contain some rather vivid imagery of the gruesome kind, so I'll let this serve as the warning for those of you who might be a little squeamish about those kinds of things.

Anyways, I don't own Naruto or it's characters/plot/locations/etc. in any shape or form; those belong to the author, not me.

Here's the key and mumbo jumbo for this chapter:

"Speaking"

'Thinking'

**"Demonic speech"**

_"Naru/Kurama mindspeaking"_

Enough of my rambling, on with the show!

* * *

Nothing could have prepared Naru for the scene of death that stretched out before her. Sure, she had been beaten within an inch of her life a few times back when Kurama was still caged inside of her, but this was the first time she had seen someone just after their death.

It was horrible. Beyond horrible. She didn't have to witness anyone being killed, but the aftermath of said killing was just as bad; bodies littered the inn's floor, most brutally ripped open or sawed into bloody pieces. Some people even looked as if they had been bludgeoned to death, so deformed were their carcasses. Blood lay splattered and drying all over the common room—on the walls, the floor, the tables, even a little bit on the ceiling. It was both sickening and exciting at the same time; the cultured part of her couldn't help but be disgusted by the carnage she was viewing, but there was another side of her that reveled in the death and destruction.

And that scared her.

Was this what it meant to be a demon? To revel in the deaths of others, watching in fascination as their lifeblood slowly fled their body? Or was this feeling merely her baser, more primal side being awakened to help deal with how sickened she felt at seeing all of this?

Either way, Naru couldn't help emptying her stomach over the banister. No one—except, perhaps, for the worst kind of criminals, though even that was stretching it—deserved the kind of end these people had encountered. It just wasn't right, any way you looked at it.

It was with that thought that all vestiges of the sickening sensation fled her body, to be replaced by a deep-seated anger. The excitement she had felt over seeing all this death remained, however, fueling her anger in a twisted sort of way. But she no longer cared about that; all that mattered to her now was that she would deal whoever had caused this massacre the same kind of gruesome end as the victims that lay sprawled before her.

Little did Naru know it, but she had just awakened her demonic hunting instincts for the first time, where almost all rational thought was clouded out in favor of a more animalistic behavioral spectrum. Kurama noticed her change in behavior, of course; how could he not when she was practically radiating bloodlust? But, given that they would most likely share the same fate as the other victims if caught off guard by the assailants, he didn't bother to snap her out of it. Instead, he allowed himself to slip into the same kind of trance, before they both blurred out of sight in a burst of speed.

It was time for the hunt to begin.

* * *

Blood pounded in her ears as she thrust her tiny fist through another man's chest, killing him instantly as she pulled out and crushed his heart with her bare hands. A twisted, maniacal grin was plastered on her face as she did so, sending shivers down the spines of those who had not yet fallen by her hands. Kurama was right beside her, using his fangs and claws to rip and slash the jugulars, arms, and legs of anyone who dared get close to him. Both of them were covered in blood, but neither cared, instead reveling in the fantastic feeling that pulsed through their veins each time they took down another opponent; the feeling of completing a kill.

They had come across a group of bandits acting under the leadership of a few missing nins almost as soon as they'd left the inn. Now, normally this might have caught them off guard, given just how many opponents they were faced with, but this time it was their opponents who were surprised. After all, who wouldn't be startled when a small, seemingly harmless girl and her vulpine friend were suddenly in the midst of your chattering comrades, butchering them with brutal efficiency? But the answer to that question was, in fact, a moot point, since before they had even lifted a finger over half of the thirty or so bandits were already dead or dying, and the other half fell just as quickly.

In total the one-sided slaughter took less than three minutes, scarcely long enough for one of the missing nins to escape into the nearby woods. The other one, formerly from Tanigakure, was about ready to crap his pants in fright as Naru and Kurama turned their attention to him.

**"And then there was one..."** Naru said, disappearing faster than the missing ninja's eyes could follow, before reappearing with her arm buried up to the elbow in his left eye socket. It was after she removed her arm from the now-dead ninja's skull that her anger—and with it the last remnants of her instinctual haze—disappeared, leaving behind only a kind of sadness, though it didn't take long before her body started to convulse in shock over what she'd just done.

Instantly Kurama was at her side, nuzzling her with his nose and sending comforting thoughts through their soulbond. He had known this was going to happen once she came down from her demonic high, so he wanted to be there for her. As it was, Naru latched onto him like a lifeline, burying her face in his silky coat before crying like she never had before. She couldn't help but shudder in remembrance of that twisted excitement that flowed through her body every time she took down another one of the bandits. It sickened her, but at the same time it also left her turned on in a way; just remembering it was enough to bring back a less powerful version of the feeling, making her shudder with a sick kind of pleasure.

Had she been older she would have known that this was a common side effect of coming down out of the battle craze, and that oftentimes people would participate in sex after similar scenarios just to override the feeling with a better one. But seeing as she was still only six years old, that option wasn't available to her. So she was forced to endure it as the twisted feeling washed over her, with Kurama as her only method of stabilization. But even as it did so, a small, increasingly more vocal part of her was saying that she had done the right thing by killing those bandits. Sure, their expressions as they died would forever be burned into her mind, but even if she had done the deed in cold blood the world was now a safer place, if only slightly.

As it was she didn't have to endure the feeling for long before a welcome distraction appeared; an elderly man and his family had just come out from hiding in a hidden cellar, and were approaching their position cautiously. Immediately relief washed over Naru, banishing the twisted form of pleasure back into the recesses of her mind; she could rest easier knowing that at least a few people had survived the bandit onslaught, even if it was only one family.

When they—they being the elderly gentleman, what appeared to be his son, the son's wife, and their child—finally came to a halt a few meters from our favorite vulpine and his soulbonded twin, it was a few minutes before anyone from either party spoke. Instead, Naru and Kurama merely observed the new arrivals, to determine if they were a threat. Appearances could be deceiving, after all.

"...Are you all right?" The elderly gentleman finally asked, after regaining his voice. Naru was about to reply when she thought better of the matter, instead opting to merely nod her head. When he said nothing else, she cocked her head to the side slightly in confusion. Why were they all so hesitant to speak...?

_"It's because you're covered from head to toe in blood, and they're not sure whether any of it is yours."_ Kurama's mind-voice echoed dryly in her head, clearly amused at the whole situation.

_"Oh..." _She had the decency to look slightly sheepish, before voicing a question out loud.

"Is there anywhere I could...ah...clean up a bit?" She gestured to her blood-stained clothes, her cheeks now tinged slightly pink with embarrassment. The old man smiled slightly.

"I don't see why not; my house is right over here, so if you'll follow us...?"

This time it was Naru's turn to smile.

* * *

Once she had cleaned up a bit (and soaked in the first hot bath she'd had in a long while!) Naru decided it was time to get on with the introductions.

"I'm Naru by the way, and this is my partner Kurama." She said, once everyone was seated at various places around the dining table—minus Kurama, of course, who was resting on the floor by Naru's chair.

"The name's Seimei, and this is my son Tsukune—" the younger man nodded in Naru's direction. "—His wife Natsumi, and my grandchild Akane."

Naru nodded to each in turn as they were introduced, unable to keep herself from smiling when Akane—who was around her age, or perhaps a year younger—asked his parents if he could play with the 'foxy-fox'. When Seimei finished the introductions, however, her attention returned to the elderly man because of the curious look in his eyes.

"You said Kurama was your...partner?" He asked, watching as the giant fox played gently with his grandchild. Naru giggled at the boys' antics before replying, though when she did so almost all traces of happiness fled her face.

"Yes...he's been with me almost since I was born, acting as my 'guardian' of sorts."

"And what about your parents? Where are they?"

"They're...gone." The young demoness had to fight back a few tears before continuing. "They died shortly after I was born, so I never really knew them..."

Almost immediately Seimei's face took on an expression of sympathy. "Forgive me if I brought up any unwanted memories; I didn't mean—"

"It's not your fault." She interrupted with a bitter laugh. "Given that I'm not from around here, well, it's only natural that you would be curious."

"Yes, well, I'm still sorry that I brought it up. Speaking of curiosity, though, what were you doing in that pile of bodies when we found you?"

Naru merely sighed, before calling Kurama over to her through their mental link. She was going to need his support and help when she tried to explain this; after all, she doubted that Seimei or his relatives would believe that a small girl such as herself had killed those bandits, even if she had done so with Kurama's help.

_"How the hell am I going to tell him that we went into a crazed frenzy and killed them?"_ Kurama simply stared at her for a few seconds before replying.

_"Why not just tell him the truth? It's not like anything we make up will be any easier to believe, you know."_

_"Yeah, but still. What do we do if he _doesn't _believe us? _

_"Why don't we just cross that bridge when or if we come to it?" _Kurama countered, growing slightly annoyed at his partner's anxiety. _"It's not like it'll make a difference if we fret over it now."_

Naru sighed slightly, before straightening up. _"Alright then, we'll do things your way. So how does this sound..."_

Seimei, meanwhile, watched this exchanged with interest. Even though he couldn't hear what they were saying to each other, it was obvious to him that there was _some_ form of communication going on between the girl and her kitsune companion. How they were doing it without saying anything, he didn't know, but the fact remained that they _were _doing so somehow.

'Interesting. I've never seen anything like this before. It's almost as if...' His eyes widened as he considered _that _ possibility. Being well versed in the topics of the spirit world due to both his incessant curiosity of the unknown and his old age, he was somewhat familiar with the concept of soulbonding. Not as much as anyone who studied such things regularly, of course, but at least he knew of the topic. And yet, from what he remembered the process was said to be incredibly painful...

'So either this girl has a high tolerance for pain, was forced to endure it by someone else, or this is something else entirely. The third option is basically out of the question, as nothing else I've ever heard of even comes close to this; even the Inuzuka from Konoha have to speak in growls of sorts to communicate with their canine partners. The second...well, if someone out there can force two beings to soulbond, then the world as we know it is in deep shit. That leaves the first option, which, as strange as it sounds, is probably the most likely...hm.'

"Naru...?" The young demoness paused in her heated debate to raise an eyebrow eloquently at the elderly man.

"Yes Seimei?"

"Would you...ah...happen to know of a process called soulbonding...?" As soon as the words left his mouth Seimei knew he had made a mistake in asking about it; it was only a heartbeat after he completed the last syllable that he found himself on the floor with one Kurama's claws held over his jugular. Given his new position he remained surprisingly calm, however, though his surprise at how fast the two of them were able to move was clearly evident on his face. His mind had scarcely registered Naru knocking his feet out from under him before he found himself looking a vulpine incarnation of death in the eyes.

"Where did you hear of that?" Kurama hissed, surprising the man once again with his vocal capabilities. The fox slowly increased the pressure over the man's neck when Seimei remained silent. When the old man felt a trickle of blood run down his neck, he knew Naru's partner wouldn't hesitate to kill him if the answer he gave was less than satisfactory. So, after letting out a rather withdrawn sigh he simply told the two demons the truth.

"I found that particular subject by accident. You see, I chanced across it in a musty old book when I was looking for a way to make my crafted swords more responsive to those who wielded them. I'm sorry if I touched a touchy subject for you two; it's just that I never found what I was looking for, and I guess I got ahead of myself..."

Evidently he had said the right thing, because a few tense moments after he finished speaking Kurama's claw disappeared from it's place against his neck. Breathing a rather shaky sigh of relief, Seimei stood up, before glancing warily at his two visitors.

"I don't suppose you two would be able to help me progress forward with my crafting research, would you?"

Naru pursed her lips in thought, then cast a sideways glance at Kurama, who was still frowning.

"Can we get back to you on this? I think we need some time to cool off after...that."

Seimei inclined his head in understanding. "Certainly; I would have to do the same thing if I was in your position. Just let me know when you've come to a decision, okay?"

"Alright, we'll do that. C'mon Kurama, let's go for a walk."

* * *

_"So what do you think, Kurama? Should we take him up on his offer...?"_ Naru asked as they walked through the deserted streets of Takumi Village. Really, after the bandit attack it seemed more like a ghost town than anything else, but that was beside the point.

_"I don't know...I'm getting the vibe that while he might _seem_ trustworthy, at least part of that is an act of some sort. Though what exactly that means I'm not certain yet."_

The young demoness sighed. _"You're not the only one; I noticed that too. The question is, though, do we really have a choice? I mean we did come to this village to get me a weapon of some sort_..."

It was here that they walked over to a small grove of trees, before settling down so they were leaning against each other. After they had done so it was Kurama's turn to sigh as he closed his eyes in frustration.

_"That might not be necessary anymore, __ now that I think about it_; with the influx of power you received from killing those bandits, your body may be experiencing some changes soon...the most important of which will be your nails gradually changing into claws."

This time it was Naru's turn to frown. While she couldn't say that she was completely taken off guard by Kurama's statement, it still came as a small surprise to her.

_"While I have to admit that the idea of having built in bodily weapons like you does sound cool, how soon are we talking for that particular change? I mean, I wouldn't mind having claws, but depending upon how long it'll take for the change to occur we might as well take Seimei up on his offer."_

_"That's what I don't_ _know." _Kurama shook his head slightly in emphasis._ "It could happen by tomorrow, or as long as in another moon; it all depends on how fast your body assimilates the power it has accumulated. If it's anything like your stamina it'll probably happen overnight, which would mean that getting you another weapon would be rather pointless. However, I don't know if that's what'll happen; all I know is that you should have enough latent power now for the change to take place."_

The fox smiled slightly as Naru snuggled up closer to him, before returning the favor by wrapping himself around her so she was cocooned in his warmth.

_"I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I'll leave the decision up to you—just be on your guard for any fishy stuff. We don't know it Seimei or his family have an ulterior motive for helping us."_

_"Yeah..."_

Having finally reached an agreement, Naru let out a rather large yawn, the strain of using her instincts for an extended period of time finally catching up to her. It didn't help matters that Natsumi had let her take a nice, hot bath either...

_"I think I need to take a nap; I'm feeling rather tired all of a sudden..."_

Kurama only chuckled as she buried herself further into his fur, her breathing gradually evening out as she slipped into unconsciousness. He wasn't surprised at all that she had just passed out from exhaustion; they _had_ been through more than a few tense situations in the past twenty-four hours, after all. The exact same thing had happened to him when he was younger, though this time he was on the watching end rather than the sleeping one. So, after resigning himself to the fact that he'd have to serve as her pillow for the next couple of hours, he closed his eyes as well—but not before extending the rest of his senses to the surrounding area out of habit. It wouldn't do to have anyone sneak up on them, regardless of whether or not they meant to cause the two demons any harm.

* * *

When Naru finally came to from her resting, time had progressed a fair deal; they'd killed the bandits after nightfall, so with all that had happened afterwards it was now almost dawn. Now, seeing as they were now in the Village of Artisans, people were already moving about the streets, though the population doing so was noticeably less than the night before. What weaponsmiths remained after the bandit attack were already hard at work at their forges, hoping to make up for the lost manpower in any way they could.

After doing their morning ritual of stretching followed by some light exercise, our demonic hero and heroine headed back towards Seimei's house, intent on discussing what exactly Seimei wanted out of them in regards to his weapons crafting. After all, how better to make a decision than with important knowledge over what you were going to have to do?

"So you want to know what you would be doing before you make a decision, eh?" The old man asked, once they'd come back inside. Granted he'd been surprised that they'd spent the whole night outside, but he chalked it up to just another one of their quirks.

"Yes. If it's within our capabilities I think we'll be able to help you out, but until we know exactly that help requires I'm afraid we'll have to decline your request." Naru said matter-of-factly, her tone implying that there was no room for argument.

"Well, I can't say I blame you for being cautious; we did just come out of a bandit attack, after all. Anyways, if you'll follow me to the forge, I'll explain what I want you two to do."

"This is where I make my weapons." Seimei said gruffly, gesturing to the room after they had arrived. It was a basement of sorts; there were swords, axes, and other weapons of all kinds hanging on the walls, all in various stages of completion.

"Now, as I mentioned before I've been researching ways to make my weapons—specifically the swords you see on the western wall—more responsive to their wielders. I've tried imbuing the metal with specific types of chakra, making it chakra conductive, you name it; but while those had somewhat of the desired effects, I'm still looking for a way to have the weapons themselves bond with their wielders. That's where you two come in—I'm pretty much tapped out of ideas for how to accomplish this, but I was hoping that you two would be able to provide a different perspective because of the soulbond between you two."

"So wait, let me get this straight; you're trying to make something of a sentient weapon almost?" Naru asked, pressing her forefingers to her temples in thought.

"I suppose you could put it that way...though I would think it would be more along the lines of your soulbond, in that both the weapon and its wielder become almost one entity. Though now that you mention it, sentient weapons might be the missing link I've been looking for..."

Naru and Kurama shared a glance as Seimei drifted off into thought. The idea that there could be weapons that bonded like they were was both fascinating and a little bit frightening, though how the old man was going to accomplish this feat they didn't know.

"Wouldn't a sentient weapon require some sort of soul though?" Naru asked, more out of curiosity than anything else. "I would think that would be the main requirement, if it's possible at all."

"Yes, I think you're right on the money. But how to add a soul to a weapon, hmm..."

This time it was Kurama who spoke up. "What about Fūinjutsu? You'd probably have to be a master at it to get anywhere close to what you're trying to accomplish, but if anything can do it, it would be that."

Seimei looked rather startled for a moment, before realization crossed his face.

"That's it...! Thanks for your help you two, but I think I've got work to do." Scarcely before he finished his sentence Seimei was off like a shot, heading to the local library. Naru shook her head in amusement at the old man's antics, before heading back outside with Kurama. Things were certainly looking to be interesting in the next couple of days...

* * *

Alright, another chapter down. While this chapter was mostly filler material of a sort, it was still important to get out nonetheless, as it highlights some of the character interaction. And yes, Takumi Village and Seimei's character are Anime only, but I figured I could add it into this story for good measure. After all, who better to get a weapon from (yes, I've decided Naru will get a weapon from Seimei, though what it is will remain secret for now), than the head honcho of a weaponsmith village?

Next chapter will be the final one where our hero and heroine are in Takumi Village, and after that it's moving on to new horizons.

Anyways, thanks for reading, and please review! Reviews tell me what I'm doing right and wrong, and, like I mentioned in the A/N at the beginning of this chapter, they also serve as motivation for me to continue writing. So follow the three R's (read rave review) and you'll be golden in my eyes. If you have any questions about this story, feel free to PM me or give this story a review (preferably the latter, though I won't complain if it's the former), and I'll get back to you either by PM or by a review response in the next chapter.

Alrighty then, this is ZariGS, signing out.

-ZGS


	5. Important AN Discontinue Note

Oftentimes looking back at the past is a good way to help make future decisions. And, like always, hindsight comes with 20-20 vision.

Anyways, in looking back at this story I am appalled by the amount of inconsistencies that occur throughout the tale, so much so that I had to question what I was thinking when I wrote it. I find myself laughing over the fact that I got four chapters in without introducing a main antagonist; the villagers "sort of" filled that role, along with Ryuuhei, but the latter died within the first chapter, leaving the position open. Then there was the fact that after Naru/Kurama left, Konoha got the small council blip and then nothing else.

All in all, since the beginning of September I have been trying my best to rewrite this story, but the sheer amount of mistakes/plot holes/etc. has proven to be an essentially insurmountable wall to pass. The grammar/spelling was, for the most part, decent, but everything else was almost complete and utter crap. It's been fun, but I think I'm going to have to discontinue this particular tale (and possibly my other two Naruto stories as well) under the grounds that I didn't plan out the storyline well enough to ensure the stories' success.

This is not to say that I'm leaving fanfiction dot net - or writing - by any stretch of the imagination, just that I'd rather write a decent story then a crappy one. And for those that care, I'll probably be posting the first chapter of a new story in a couple of days; I've still got some of the details to iron out, but I know for certain that it will feature a fem!naruto like this one.

Keep on writing,

-ZGS

P.S.: if anyone is interested in trying their hand at rewriting this story, feel free to shoot me a PM and I'll send you what I have rewritten so far :)


End file.
